Yael Baron

"I feel... in between. I don't feel like a girl, or what everyone thinks is a girl. I don't like makeup or stuff like you do. I really, really hate my boobs. But, I don't feel like a boy either. And I'm definitely not gay, I like Hunter."
— Yael expressing their gender identity to Lola in #FactsOnly

Job

School(s)

Affiliation(s)

Production

First Episode

Episode Count

Portrayed By

Yael Baron is a Senior (Grade 12) at Degrassi Community School. Strong and dominant, they are the person who always takes the lead. Whether it’s directing the school play or fighting against world hunger, they want their voice to be heard. Yael’s a go-getter, and sometimes abuses their leadership powers by going further than they can get. It’s only when they're able to listen and follow others that they truly achieves their goals. They are friends with Baaz Nahir, Vijay Maraj, and best friends with Lola Pacini. They used to date Hunter Hollingsworth. In #FactsOnly, Yael came out as genderqueer, using they/them pronouns. They are labelled as "The Entrepreneur". They are portrayed by Jamie Bloch.

Contents

Character History

Degrassi: Next Class

Season 1

Yael and Hunter express their issues with Degrassi.

In #BootyCall, Yael and Hunter are approached by Tristan and Zoë in the hallway. Tristan asks them what issues Degrassi has and Hunter states they have nowhere to game. Yael adds that the jocks have two places to practice their "homo-erotic grappling" while they have none.

In #YesMeansYes, they are seen sitting in gym with Baaz and Hunter as they try to complete the period without participating. When Vijay gets hit in the face they appear concerned. Yael is relieved when Hunter is called to the court to play basketball, instead of themself. They are later seen standing up in excitement when Hunter throws the basketball into his own net.

Hunter asking Yael to break his finger with a hammer.

The next day, Hunter and Yael are in the greenhouse when Hunter asks them to break his finger with a hammer to get him out of gym. They are apprehensive until Hunter tells them Tristan and Zoë didn't approve Gamer Club, they then smile at him before breaking his finger with ease. Later they are in the gym with Hunter, Baaz, and Vijay when Tristan tells them that the gamer club has been approved by the Degrassi Student Council. Yael then congratulates Hunter on getting the Gamer Club legitimized.

In #ButThatsNoneOfMyBusiness, Yael and the rest of Gamer Club are seen participating in the video game competition in the gymnasium.

In #NotAllMen, they compete against another team with the Gamer Club, and they barely win. Yael and the group decide that their gaming equipment is holding them back because it's too old.

Baaz, Yael, Hunter, and Vijay, in their fundraising video.

The next day, in a ploy to raise money, Hunter calls Yael and asks them if they have cosplaying gear. Yael and Gamer Club then dress up in cosplay and film a video asking for five-thousand dollars in order for them to make it to Regionals. Everyone enjoys the video but Yael fears people will think it's stupid, Hunter releases it anyway. Yael is later seen gaming with Vijay, and Baaz when Hunter tells them they have enough money to get new gear. Tristan comes in the room shortly after and tells them that everyone thinks their game is misogynistic. When Hunter loses his temper at the after-school debate Yael catches him smashing keyboards in the computer lab. They calm him down by telling him they don't think he is racist or sexist. The next day, Yael, Vijay, and Baaz over hear the Gamer Club getting shut down. Yael states they would follow Hunter no matter what he does. Yael, Vijay, and Baaz, all agree to help Hunter with his revenge.

In #SorryNotSorry, Yael is seen taking a test in class when Hunter follows them into the hallway. He asks them if they would go to the Snow Ball with him and they accept. Principal Simpson shows up and asks the two of them to come with him, which makes Yael believe the school figured out that they and Hunter were the ones that trolled Maya. Hunter tells them they have no proof and to deny everything. Later they are seen in the principals office with Vijay, Baaz, Hunter, and Maya while she explains the effects their trolling had on her life. Feelings extremely guilty, Yael apologizes to Maya and ultimately ends up confessing that they in-fact were the ones who trolled her. Yael is in tears as Hunter expresses that Maya deserved it and refuses to apologize, this makes Yael and the others turn to him in disbelief.

Yael getting in Hunter's face after he ignores their question.

Later Yael, Vijay, and Baaz are seen doing community service before the Snow Ball. Hunter approaches them angrily and Yael severely questions Hunters morality. When Hunter doesn't respond to Yael's questions they get in his face which causes him to push them straight onto the floor, Baaz then yells at Hunter to leave, which he does. Yael's name is written last on Hunters 'victims-list' and emphasized with a period. Later that night at the SnowBall, Yael and Baaz are seen doing community service. Hunter sneaks up behind Yael and pokes their side, which makes them jump in fear. They tell him to leave but Hunter says people don't understand the two of them. Yael grows uncomfortable and states that they are nothing like Hunter, which makes him grab their arm. They deny him and gets their arm free, Hunter states that he thought they were different before disappearing into the crowd.

Season 2

In #TurnItUp, Yael visits Hunter at the psychiatric ward he was admitted to after Hunter writes them a letter. Hunter asks Yael if they hate him to which they says they don't but they still need some time and Hunter tells them that he wants to get better.

In #CheckYourPrivilege, Yael presents their secret app to the class and tells Baaz and Vijay to beat it, Baaz tells them that their app is boring. Baaz and Vijay present their brown cloud app to the class. Baaz bets Yael that if his and Vijay's app gets more downloads in a week than theirs he gets a date with Yael. Yael says they win he owes them a million dollars to donate to a charity, they shake hands. Yael leaves.

Yael visits Hunter at the pyshward, Yael tells Hunter about the app challenge and that if they lose they have to go on a date with Baaz. Hunter says they must win and maybe they should turn their app into what people want to use it for, Hunter says their app deserves to win and they can make a career out of it too, Yael doesn't want to compromise their values but Hunter thinks no-one made it big without doing that.

At school, Baaz asks Yael if they were so disgusted at going on a date with him that they cheated. Yael says they didn't cheat and are happy they are winning in the downloads stakes now they changed it to make people use it the way they want and thinks people will use it theirs once it gets going but Baaz says they won't. Baaz walks away angry with Yael saying hes a sore loser.

Hunter and Yael are talking over the phone, Yael thanks him for his advice about their app, and Hunter's happy they won't be going on a date with Baaz. Frankie tells Yael people are using their app to slander them, and Yael isn't happy about this and questions whether they should succeed by any means necessary. Hunter says he's unsure.

In class, Baaz and Vijay win the app contest. Yael says they took their app down because they didn't want to win that way, and plus they have other ideas to make it. As they didn't win the app contest, they owed Baaz a date.

Season 3

In #RiseandGrind, they go to Hunter's release party and they flirt with him.

Season 4

In #BackToReality, they admit they're uncomfortable with the size of their breasts, which Lola attributes to them using the wrong bra size. Yael goes to a bra fitting with Lola, and gets a new bra, but the attention their breasts receives when they're wearing it makes them heavily uncomfortable. Yael goes back to the store and returns the bra, and asks the saleswoman if she has something that will make their breasts disappear. The saleswoman suggests trying a binder, and Yael agrees. Yael puts the binder on, looks themself in the mirror and smiles with relief.

In #ILookLikeA, Hunter photoshops their armpit hair in a yearbook photo. They admit to no longer shaving their legs or armpits. Hunter dislikes this and tries to get them to start shaving again, but Yael doesn't want to. Hunter wonders about all the changes Yael has been going through, and Yael says they can't explain it, but that what they're doing makes them feel more comfortable. Hunter asks if Yael doesn't want to date him anymore, which Yael answers by kissing him, telling him they do. They plan a date after school.

Trivia

Yael was originally conceived to be a lesbian named Maude.

Their name is pronounced "Yah-Elle", with emphasis on the second syllable.